Just Coffee
by pictureswithboxes
Summary: Aubrey is back in town and she wants to catch up with Chloe


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

**A/N: **This is based on my small breakdown that I recently had and the results that followed, so yes, all of this was based on true events, sadly the ending did not happen to me.

* * *

Aubrey's hands shook was she typed in the number that Fat Amy had given her, her thumb hovering over the send text button. She hadn't been near Atlanta in almost a year, nor had she made any real effort to keep in contact with anyone, other than Fat Amy, who forced herself into Aubrey's life. She had a good reason to avoid any contact with the others, but not good enough, really. In fact, as Amy put it, she was being a 'huge piece of chicken shit' and Aubrey couldn't help but agree.

But that didn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes as Aubrey couldn't even begin to think of what she'd send, what does one send to the object of their affections? To someone who means so much more than anything to her? She obviously couldn't tell her, no. There was no way that the first thing that Aubrey sent was a love letter. No, she needed something that was cool, but somehow said that she missed Chloe, but also didn't hint toward her latent homosexuality.

"You're over thinking, Posen." Aubrey told herself, trying to take in a deep breath, only to begin hyperventilating.

Aubrey felt the bile rise in her throat, the familiar pain in her stomach that alluded to the vomit that was sure to come if she didn't calm herself. Aubrey bit her lip, trying to swallow it down, the pain in her stomach started to expand, rising into the back of her throat. The blonde took in a deep breath, managing to turn the white-hot burning into merely a small throbbing. Her eyes still stung and she couldn't hold back anymore, her fingers moved about the keyboard swiftly, typing out a quick, concise message.

_Hey, this is Aubrey, I'm in town for a little while. I just wanted to know how you're doing and say hi. So, hi! How are you?_

After reading it over a few times, Aubrey pressed the send button, only to immediately regret it. What if Chloe forgot about her and didn't know who she was? Or what if she didn't want to talk to her ever again and gets mad? Or what if Chloe never replies? Aubrey closed her eyes, trying to will the thoughts that were nagging at her away. Of course Chloe would reply, it's Chloe, the girl who went up to everyone in their dorm and said hello. The girl who got Aubrey to stop talking in military time and managed to teach her how to use a computer, if she was willing to waste half a year on that, she had to be willing to waste five seconds to type a reply.

"Are you seriously going to sit there and stare at your phone all night?" Brad asked, opening the door to her bedroom with a small smirk.

"Go to hell!" Aubrey snapped, locking her phone and tossing it on her desk.

"Someone's pissed." Brad teased, entering the room fully. "Are you okay?"

"Shut up." Aubrey pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on them.

"Aw, someone's nervous about talking to... what's her name?"

"Chloe!"

"Really?"

"Yes, her name is Chloe."

"What'd you send her?"

"I said hi and told her that I was in town for a little while."

"Good, so you weren't creepy?"

"I don't-" Aubrey glanced at her phone, furrowing her brow. "What if I was creepy?"

Aubrey felt herself start hyperventilating again, making her brother sigh. Brad put a hand on Aubrey's shoulder, trying to calm his sister. It didn't work, however, that pain was settling back in, her throat felt constricted, it was as if all the air had been taken from her lungs and no matter how hard she tried to breath, she couldn't fill them.

"Dude, breathe!" Brad mumbled, rubbing Aubrey's back gently.

"You... don't think... I'm trying?" Aubrey gasped out, only for her eyes to widen when her phone buzzed. "Get off!"

Aubrey lunged for her phone quickly looking at the message. It was from Chloe, thank God. Aubrey glanced down at the screen, a nervous smile formed on her face as she scanned the message. It wasn't fancy or anything, there was no declaration of love, but instead a classic Chloe message.

_omg! bree its been 2 long! i cant believe ur in town! im great u?_

Aubrey felt her heart swell at the message, Chloe missed her. She missed her. That was something, it made up for the anxiety completely, causing joy to overcome her very being. Aubrey looked at Brad, biting her lip, trying to conceal just how excited the simple text had made her. She didn't need more ridiculing at the moment.

"Was it her?" He asked, smirking a little.

"Yeah." Aubrey nodded, looking at her phone. "What do I do now?"

"Ask her out-"

"Seriously?!"

"For coffee or something."

"Oh."

"Yeah, you don't need to freak out, okay." Brad stood up and moved to the door. "Don't spend all night staring at your phone like a freak, okay?"

"Go away now." Aubrey sighed, beginning to type out another message.

The only question was what to type, did she tell Chloe the truth and say that she was even more anxiety ridden than ever and that at the moment she felt like she was about to vomit all over her bedroom, or did she lie and tell her that everything was fine. Well, actually that wasn't a hard question, of course Aubrey was going to lie, if she told Chloe that she was ridden with anxiety, then Chloe would grow concerned. No, this was a happy occasion.

"Okay, Posen, you can do this." Aubrey nodded to herself, her fingers gliding against the keys on her phone.

_I'm well. I was wondering if you wanted to go out for coffee to you know, catch up._

Aubrey sent the message quickly, making sure that she wouldn't regret it and chicken out. Before she can even imagine up a ridiculous scenario, her phone buzzed, Aubrey glanced back down. Chloe was excited, she could tell from her use of capitalization and exclamation points.

_OMG! YES! how about tmrrw? 11 ish? meet me at that one place we always went i forgot the name but u kno it right? we could make a day of it!_

A high-pitched noise, one of which Aubrey never thought herself capable of making, escaped her throat. She and Chloe were going out for coffee, they were spending the day together. Aubrey smiled, her eyes lighting up as she began to type up her next message.

_I know what you're talking about, I'll see you then._

There was a quick knock on her door, followed by her father opening the door.

"Did you make that noise?" He asked, looking confused and irritated.

"Which one, Sir?" Aubrey knew that he was referring to the strange squeal which bore resemblance to that of a dying animal.

Her father only rose an eyebrow.

"That was me, Sir, I'm sorry." Aubrey looked down at her hands. "I got excited and-"

"Well, try to contain yourself, your brother and I have work to do."

"Yes, Sir."

"And tell Chloe that I said hello."

"I will, Sir."

As her father left, Aubrey saw the faintest hints of a smile on his lips. The blonde grinned happily, falling on her back and looking up at the ceiling. She had spent long hours counting the paint strokes that went into making the white ceiling. Aubrey slowly began counting, she began to feel her nerves quiet down by the time she got to forty-seven. Tomorrow was going to be the most nerve-racking day of her life.

* * *

Aubrey awoke at eight thirty, well, she woke up for the third time at eight thirty. The first time had been two am and the second time was at four twenty-eight, Aubrey wasn't even sure that she had slept, she probably just stared at the ceiling and lost track of time. But, it was time to get up and have her pre-coffee coffee. The blonde sat up and climbed out of bed, walking over to her closet and freezing. What was she going to where?

"This isn't going to be easy." She muttered to herself as she opened the closet door. "Shit."

Aubrey sighed and picked out her clothes, not wanting to dress up too much because it's not a date. It's just two friends hanging out, catching up, and getting coffee, it was not going to be a date. Aubrey was not going to proclaim her love to Chloe and she most certainly was not going to kiss her. Coffee, fun, home, that was all that was going to happen.

A cup of coffee and three Xanax later, Aubrey stood outside the coffee shop that she and Chloe used to go to all the time. Nothing had changed a bit, even a few of the regular patrons that Chloe had befriended smiled at her and on particularly happy old man engulfed Aubrey into a hug and told her that Chloe never looked lonelier. Aubrey smiled at him, but didn't speak, only to look up and notice a certain redhead laughing at her. Of course Chloe would show up just in time to see her being hugged by some random old man.

"I see you've replaced me, haven't you?" Chloe laughed, wrapping her arms around Aubrey just as the man released her. "Well, Herman's a good guy, really a party boy."

"Hi, Chloe." Aubrey grinned, returning the embrace. "How are you?"

"Shut up," Chloe said quickly, tugging Aubrey into the shop. "We don't talk until I've had coffee, you know that."

"Sorry." Aubrey rolled her eyes as they took their place in line.

Once they reached the counter, Aubrey stepped up and ordered for the both of them. She kept it simple, two pumpkin spice lattes, something she hadn't had since she had seen Chloe. The redhead grinned brightly when Aubrey handed her the coffee.

"I can't believe you remembered!" She exclaimed, as they took their seats at their usual table.

"Well, it's all you ever drink." Aubrey replied, taking a quick sip. "You should be insulted if I forget."

"I'll hold you to that." Chloe said, taking a drink. "It's better when you order it. So, how have you been? How's Boston?"

"It's great," Aubrey answered honestly. "A lot colder than Atlanta, but it's nice. School's going well, too."

"I bet you're top of your class."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Seriously? You're about to be the best lawyer ever! I swear, you'll be the only person I go to when I need to sue someone."

"I bet you will." Aubrey laughed, setting down her drink. "So, how's nursing school? Is it everything you hoped for?"

"Well, I wanted more access to drugs but other than that, I'm great!" Chloe replied, making Aubrey roll her eyes. "I'm gonna be the best nurse ever-"

"With a drug addiction."

"The best nurses have them."

"I'm sure." Aubrey rolled her eyes again, before biting her lip. "You're gonna be a great nurse, you know."

"Oh, trust me, I know." Chloe nodded. "I'm the nursing master of the universe!"

Aubrey just laughed and finished off her coffee, before standing up and throwing her trash away. Chloe stood too, pulling Aubrey out of the shop and down the street. They walked and chatted, Chloe leading the conversations while Aubrey was just happy to be along for the ride. They seemed to fall back into their old routine seamlessly, as if nothing had changed at all.

There was no tension or anxiety in Chloe's tone as she asked Aubrey if there was anyone special back in Boston, just breezy as if she were talking about the weather. Chloe did, however, seem personally offended when Aubrey told her that she hadn't so much as gone on a date since moving and it only made her more upset when Aubrey explained that it wasn't because no one asked her out. In fact, she was asked by both men and women while she was there, but nothing had been the same, sure Aubrey let them down gently, explaining that there was someone else, and for the most part, they believed her.

"How can you not have dated anyone?" Chloe exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"I just haven't met anyone that I like." Aubrey shoved her hands in her pockets, her cheeks burning.

"But not even a date?!" Chloe shook her head. "That's just terrible, and people have been asking you out? God, how picky are you?"

"Pretty picky, I guess."

"No one is good enough for Aubrey Posen." Chloe laughed, stopping when they had come full circle and made it back to the coffee shop. "I should head home, now. I'll text you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Aubrey paused, watching as Chloe moved to where her car was. "Chloe,"

"What's up?" Chloe turned, looking confused.

Aubrey took a few steps toward Chloe, grabbing her forearm and pulling her close. "I am interested in someone."

"Aubrey, what-"

Chloe was cut off when Aubrey's lips met hers. The blonde froze, her eyes wide. She was more surprised than Chloe was, how could she have kissed her? Why was she being so stupid? Why was Chloe kissing back? Aubrey pulled away, her brow furrowed and lips tingling. Chloe looked up at her shyly, her lower lip between her teeth as she turned her gaze from Aubrey down to her shoes.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Chloe choked out, walking to her car.

"Y-yeah." Aubrey replied blankly, blinking rapidly.

"Same place." Chloe nodded, getting in her car and driving away.

"What the hell just happened?" Aubrey asked herself, bringing her fingers to her lips.

She couldn't believe that she kissed Chloe, more-so, she couldn't believe that Chloe had kissed her back. Wait, Chloe kissed her back! Aubrey's eyes widened as a large smile formed on her face, she kissed Chloe and Chloe had kissed back! And she was seeing her tomorrow. The blonde couldn't help but throw her fist in the air and grin like a mad woman as she ran to her car. The sooner she got home, the sooner she could text Chloe about details.


End file.
